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Wire connectors for surge protectors and other electrical components

Wire connectors for surge protectors and other electrical components description/claims

The invention disclosed herein relates to connecting wires to electrical components. Particular embodiments of the invention provide apparatus for surge protectors used in the telecom industry and for connecting wires thereto.

Connecting wires to electrical components can be time consuming. Traditional wire-connection terminals comprise metallic threaded members which pinch the wire to maintain electrical contact between the conductive portion of the wire and the conductive parts of the terminal. Electrically connecting a wire to an electric component using such wire-connection apparatus typically involves stripping the insulation from the wire, bending the exposed conductive wire around a threaded post and threading a nut over the post to pinch the wire against a conductive substrate.

There is a general desire to provide electrical components with wire-connection apparatus which make it easier and faster to electrically connect wire(s) to the components.

Once wires are connected to the terminals of electrical components, it is often desirable to be able to test the electrical connections. By way of non-limiting example, it is often useful to test to confirm the electrical connection, to observe the signal on the electrical terminal and/or to troubleshoot the operation of the corresponding electrical component. Typically, such testing involves making electrical contact between the wire-connection terminals of an electrical component and the probes of an electrical measurement and/or diagnostic device (e.g. a multimeter, oscilloscope, network analyzer or the like).

In drawings which depict non-limiting embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a surge protector according to a particular embodiment of the invention with one of its wire-holding members pivoted to its connection configuration and the second one of its wire-holding members pivoted to its wire insertion/removal configuration;

FIG. 2A is a plan view of one of the ends of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

FIG. 2B is a plan view of the opposing end of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 surge protector taken though the vertical axis of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing one of the wire-connection apparatus of the FIG. 1 surge protector with its wire-holding member pivoted to its connection configuration and the probe-access cover in its open configuration;

FIG. 8 is a partial isometric view of the FIG. 1 surge protector with one of its wire-holding members and one of its probe-access covers removed;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the FIG. 1 surge protector with its probe-access covers removed;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the FIG. 1 surge protector with wires held in its corresponding wire-holding members;

FIGS. 11A-11D are respectively top, bottom, side and end plan views of one of the wire-holding members of the FIG. 1 surge protector;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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